Material for packing tubes and the like



Sept. 25, 1951 E. L. SHEPARD 2,568,769

MATERIAL FOR PACKING TUBES AND THE LIKE Filed June 11, 1945 '3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ernes+ L Shepard INVEN TOR.

Sept. 25, 1951 E. L. SHEPARD MATERIAL FOR PACKING TUBES AND THE LIKE Filed June 11, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ll I 1 b H I m \tl |9 1 9 Fig.2.

INVENTOR.

Ernesr L. Shepard I '7 Aftorne P 1951 E. L. SHEPARD 2,568,769

MATERIAL FOR PACKING TUBES AND THE LIKE Filed June 11, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. Ernest L. Shepard BY A frorxeg Patented Sept. 25,1951

MATERIAL FOR PACKING TUBES AND THE LIKE Ernest L. Shepard, Fairfield, Maine, assignor, 'by mesne assignments, to The 'Canal National Bank of Portland and William B. Nulty, both of Portland, Maine, as trustees V H 1 "Application June 11', 1945, Serial N6{598,816

4 Claims. (01.206-65) I This invention relates to packing material for protecting shipments of elongated fragile articles against damage in transit;

For the purposes of this application I shalldiscuss my invention in connection with the shipment of glass tubing. 'Such discussion however is illustrative and not limiting, since the principles of my invention are applicable to the packaging "of a wide variety of elongated fragile arti-' cles, such as fluorescent lighting units, glass rods, steel tubes of thin gage, and the like.

The main object of my invention is to provide an inexpensive and convenient-to-use packing material for safely packing a number of glass tubes, or the like, lengthwise of the shipping case in'superimposed layers;

Other objects and advantages will appear as this description proceeds.

In attaining my objects I generally construct my packing material as sheets of relatively short width as compared with the length of the tubes and arrange these sheets in vertical stacks at several points spaced along the length of the case. The sheets are of such design as to provide with each other when assembled as a stack, layers of superimposed open-ended pockets extending lengthwise of the case and within which portions at least of the tubes are enclosed and firmly gripped. The tubes of one layer are sta gered with respect to the tubes in the adjacent layers, and all tubes in all layers are spaced apart from each other by the material of the sheets.

Each tube acts as a key to prevent shifting movement of the sheets of the stack relative to one another transversely of the stack and the several sheetsof the stack interlockingly engage each other to prevent lateral shifting movements of the sheets relative to one another longitudinally of the stack.

As a result of this construction, the several sheets of the stack, and the several layers of tubes which are frictionally gripped within the sheet pockets, are interlocked as a unitary assembly within the shipping case so that the strains encountered in shipment are transmitted uniformly over the entire assembly of tubes rather than being concentrated upon individual tubes or layers of tubes at localized areas, with resultant danger of breaking or cracking the tubes at such areas;

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invenion Fig. 1 is a perspective View, partly broken away, of a'conventional shipping carton containing a'number-of'glass tubespacked in accordance with my invention. r

Fig. 2 is a top plan view ofFig. 3.

' Fig. 3 is an end View, partly in'section, through a stack of my sheets, particularly showing how the staggered layers of tubes are firmly interlocked-to one another as a unitary assembly by the -mutual engagement of the sheets of the, stack with oneanother, and,

' Figs.- 4 and 5 are perspectivewiews showing the respective faces, of one of my packing sheets. I have indicated generally atlfl=in Fig. 1 a conventional shipping case or carton of boxboard or the like, and at H I have indicated a.

number of glass tubes or other elongated articles of fragile material which are positioned length.- wise of the case in superimposed staggered layers by means of my novel packing sheets I 2.

Sheets" [2 may be made of. any suitable material, but are preferably made of molded, pulp. They are arranged one on top of. the other to provide at spaced intervals along the length of the case several verticalstacks S of interlocked sheets. The design of the sheets is such. that when assembled as a stack they position the tubes lengthwise of .the case in interlocked superimposed layers with the tubes of one layer staggered with respect to the tubes in the layers above and below. If desired I may arrange other sheets 13.

generally. similar to the sheets 12, but omitting the grooves ll hereinafter described, vertically of the case at the endwalls thereof to serve as liners orcushioning elements against which the Y ends of the .tubes abut (see Fig. 1)

Each, sheet I2 is formed on its upper and lower.

extenda substantial distanceabove the plane of the sheet, and projections I6 on the'lower face of the sheet extend a substantial distance below the planeof the sheet and are located in the,

spaces separating the projections l5.

It will be noted that the opposite longitudinal edges lllaand 10b which establish the base plane of each sheet merge with and project slightly beyond the ends of the upward and downward formations andthus furnish continuous tie bars or reinforcements extending from end to end of the sheet. These reinforcements serve tohold the upward and downward. formations in their molded position and shapev and prevent them from folding inwardly or outwardly like the pleats of an accordion.

Both sets of projections are substantially coextensive in length. Both sets of projections likewise have sloping side walls terminating at their upper or lower ends, as the case may be, in relatively fiat, bearing surfaces. When the sheets are superimposed upon one another as ,a stack (see Fig. '3), the upward projections 15 of one sheet register with and bear against the downward projections 16 of a superimposed sheet, and the downward projections l6 of said first-named sheet register with and bear against the upward projections l of a subjacent sheet.

Thus there is provided on the upper and lower faces of each sheet spaced rows of longitudinally extending open-ended half pockets, the halfpockets at one face of the sheet being offset laterally with respect to those on the opposite face or the sheet. J

On the upper face of the sheet the side walls of each half pocket are constituted by the oppositely disposed side walls of two adjacent upward formations l5 and the bottom wall of each half pocket is constituted by the downward formation It included between said pair of upward projections.

On 'the'lower face of the sheet the side walls of each half-pocket are constituted by the oppositely disposed :side walls of two adjacent downward formations i6 and the top wall of each half-pocket is constituted by the upward formation 1| 5, included between said pair of downward formations.

Consequently when the sheets are assembled as a stack, the half-pockets on the upper face, 01' one sheet register with those on the lower face of the sheet next above in the stack and the half-pockets of the lower face of said sheet register with those on the upper face of the sheet next below in the stack. This provides throughout the stack superimposed laterally ofiset layers of complete open-ended pockets within which the tubes are enclosed and spaced from each other by the material of the sheets.

The sheets in each stack may be interlocked to each other as a unitary assembly in any suitable manner. As here shown the top faces of the formations [5 are provided with projections [8 and the bottom faces of the formations it are provided with grooves 11, respectively, which mutually interlock with one another when the sheets are stacked.

The overall dimensions of the sheet, transversely of the axis of the tubes is approximately equal to the width of the case. The overall height of the stack approximately equal to the depth of the case. Thus the assemblies .of stacked sheets act as a structural reinforcement for the four walls of the case :atzspaced intervals along the length of the case as well as supporting the tubes in spaced relationtto each other and to the walls-of the case.

Preferably, the sheets are provided. at their ends with hollow stiffening ribs 19 and 20, respectively.

Where the tubes are :of considerable length, I prefer to employ a stack of sheets near each end of the case and one .or :more stacks intermediate of the case 'ends. For shorter tubes, fewer stacks :of sheets may be used.

The stacks may eonsistof any desired number of sheets and each sheet may have any desired number of pockets, depending upon the :desired number of tubes to be packed in the case.

" Where extra "reinforcement is wanted, two r more sheets may be nested within one another iii 4 to form the top or bottom sheets of the stack. Likewise two or more sheets may be nested within one another to form the cushioning members 13 at the ends of the case.

The article pockets of my sheet are of such dimension that when the glass tubes are placed lengthwise therein, the pockets will be forced to deform slightly and frictionally grip the tubes before the formations l5 and I6 of a pair of sheets contact each other. Inasmuch as the coefficient of friction between the molded pulp sheets and the glass tubes is relatively high, this frictional grip resists to a large extent the tendency of the tubes to slide lengthwise in the pockets- Usually the dimension of the sheet is slightly greater than the width of the case so that when the stack is assembled in the case there is a frictional grip between the side walls of the case and the ends of the sheet. This frictional grip between the side walls of the case and each stack of sheets reduces to the minimum the possibility of the pack unit from shifting lengthwise of the case.

Inasmuch as the tubes themselves act as looking keys to prevent displacement of the sheets transversely of the stack and the tongues 18 and grooves l'i act to prevent displacement of the sheets longitudinally of the stack, it follows that the sheets are interlocked as a rigid assembly in which the tubes and sheets. will maintain their relative positions with respect to one another during transit.

My design of sheet enables me to obtain liberal.

space between the inside walls of the shipping case and the adjacent walls .of the tubes, thus providing an extra margin of safety against damage should the side walls of the case be.

crushed or bent inwardly during transit.

This type of packing is of particular advantage when used for shipping .glass tubes or thalike,

in box-board cartons. Such cartons are appreciably longer than they are wide or deep and hence are weak in resistance to torsional strains. Where the articles packed in such a carton are individually loose, even though provided with individual packing protection for each article, the

inability of the carton to resist torsional strains causes displacement of the articles relative to one another and consequent breakage, whereas my packing assembly affords .an extremely rigid reinforcement to the walls of the carton which tends to resist deflection under torsional strain: In my construction the stresses resulting from the torsional strains are cushioned and transmitted uniformly to all of the tubes within the carton instead of bein localized and concentrated upon any one section of the carton or on one or more tubes. In other words my packing assembly reliably holds the tubes in spaced relationship to one another without the necessity of While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, I recognize that many minor changes may be made in its design, All such are construction, and .method of use. to be regarded as within the purview of my invention if within the limits of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A package comprising a shipping case to contain a plurality of elongated, fragile articles, a plurality of separator units for support of said articles in superimposed layers within the case and a plurality of cushioning units for spacing the ends of the articles from the end walls of the Shipping case, each unit consisting of a'sheet having on each face a plurality of spaced hollow formations extending respectively upwardly and downwardly from the plane of the sheet and constituting crests and valleys providing troughs extending longitudinally of the sheet on each face thereof, the downward formations being located in the spaces separating the upward formations, and the upward and downward formations of one sheet bearing against the downward and upward formations respectively of the sheets next above and below to form on the respective faces of said sheet spaced parallel rows of open-ended half pockets which register with the half pockets on the adjacent spaces of the sheets next above and below to define superimposed layers of complete pockets in which the articles are gripped, the walls of said pockets being solid and unbroken so as to afford continuous protection for the elongated, fragile articles placed lengthwise therein, the cushioning sheets at the ends of the layers of articles being arranged at right angles to the articles.

2. A substantially rectangular unitary packing sheet of paper pulp molded in the form of a series of accordion pleats, said series terminating at one end at the apex of a pleat on one side of the sheet and at the other end at the apex of a pleat on the opposite side of the sheet, the terminal portions of the pleated section being ribbed to impart stiffness thereto, longitudinal edge portions on each side of the sheet extending from one end of the sheet to the other along substantially the central plane of the sheet, said edge portions being connected to the pleated section by portions closing the side edges of the pleats from the central plane of the sheet to the apex of each pleat, said edge and closing portions precluding inward or outward folding of the accordion pleats.

3. A substantially rectangular unitary packing sheet of paper pulp molded in the form of a series of accordion pleats having blunted apexes, the apexes on one side of the sheet being depressed to form grooves, the apexes on the other side of the sheet being provided with raised portions to provide tongues, said series of accordion pleats terminating at one end at the apex of a pleat on one side of the sheet and at the other end at the apex of a pleat on the opposite side of the sheet, the terminal portions of the pleated section being ribbed to impart stiffness thereto, longitudinal edge portions on each side of the sheet extending from one end of the sheet to the other along substantially the central plane of the sheet, said edge portions being connected to the pleated section by portions closing the side edges of the pleats from the central plane of the sheet to the apex of each pleat, said edge and closing portions precluding inward or outward folding of the accordion pleats. V

4. In a shipping case for elongated fragile articles, in combination, a stack of superimposed separator units for support of said articles in said case, each unit comprising a sheet of pulp molded in the form of a series of accordion pleats having apexes, the apexes on one side of the sheet having depressed portions to form grooves, the apexes on the other side of the sheet having raised portions to provide tongues, said series of accordion pleats terminating at one end at the apex of a pleat on one side of the sheet and at the other end at the apex of a pleat on the opposite side of the sheet, the terminal portions of the pleated section being ribbed to impart stiffness thereto, longitudinal adge portions on each side of the sheet extending from one end of the sheet to the other along substantially the central plane of the sheet, said edge portions being connected to the pleated section by portions closing the side edges of the pleats from the central plane of the sheet to the apex of each pleat, said edge and closing portions preeluding inward or outward folding of the accordion pleats, said sheets being superimposed with said pleats extending longitudinally of the shipping case and with the tongues of one sheet engaging the grooves of the next adjacent sheet, whereby relative lateral movement of the sheets is prevented and whereby longitudinally extending, vertically staggered pockets are provided for the support of elongated fragile articles to be shipped.

ERNEST L. SHEPARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,956,955 Kronenberger May 1, 1934 1,977,160 White Oct. 16, 1934 1,990,675 Sinz et al. Feb. 12, 1935 2,045,771 Graham 1 June 30, 1936 

